Apparatus for carrying and launching boats



Sept. 1,1942. G. EQ 'PALMER 2,294,854

' APPARATUS FOR CARRYING AND mtmcume sons Fi led (Jet. 25, 1938 13 22 16 a s 19 26- I I 18 fly h 24a 2a 25 J5 A 26 22 e j 4 y 24 3nventor Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNETED STTS OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CARRYING AND LAUNCH- ING BOATS 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to boats and more particularly to mechanism for raising and lowering a dinghy with respect to a larger boat.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide new and improved mechanism for raising and/or lowering a dinghy with respect to a larger boat and to provide mechanism for this purpose of a character to facilitate and render easy the raising and/or lowering of the dinghy.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for supporting a dinghy on a larger boat in a manner such that the dinghy may be readily and quickly lowered into the water and in a manner such that when in raised position, the dinghy will not occupy space within the boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for the above mentioned purpose which is compact, simple in construction and inexpensive.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rear end portion of a boat, a dinghy in lowered position, and mechanism for raising and/or lowering the y;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the boats and structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view shown in perspective of a releasable hook forming a part of the present structure;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a locking means for holding the dinghy in raised position, and

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the rear end of a boat and the locking means of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, the numeral designates a boat of the pleasure cruising type of which only a rear end portion is shown, the boat Ill having the usual cockpit H and a rear deck portion l2. Rigidly mounted on the rear deck l2, a pair of spaced upright brackets 13 support a shaft M with the longitudinal axis of the shaft extending transversely of the boat l0, and mounted on the shaft I4 is a pair of spaced pulleys or drums l which constitute winches for raising and/or lowering a dinghy l6. Mounted on the end of the boat i0, externally thereof and below the deck [2 is a pair of brackets I! to which the ends of a davit [8 are pivotally connected, as at l9, such that the davit may be swung about an axis transverse of the boat [0. Suitable cables 20 wound around the drums l5 are provided and the ends thereof are suitably secured to the davit [8. In the present instance, the davit I8 is raised from the water by manually operable means and to this end, a driven gear 2! fixed on the shaft I4 is rotated by a worm gear 22 which is operable by a hand crank 23.

The davit I8 is U-shaped having substantially parallel side members 24 and is preferably formed of rust-proof tubing. On the davit side members 24 is provided a pair of inner hook members 25 and a pair of outer hook members 26 which have lower hook portions 21, adapted to hook under the clamp forming the inside gunwales 21a of the dinghy for detachably securing the dinghy to the davit 18. These hook members 25, 26 may be formed of sheet metal bent to provide a clamping portion 26a to fit around the tubular davit side members 24 and. the hook members have adjacent overlying end portions. 28 provided with aligning apertures to receive a screw onto which wing nuts 29 may be screwthreaded to clamp the hook members tightly to the side members 24. The outer hook members 26 and the side members 24 may be provided with aligning apertures to receive pins 30 for locking the hook members 26 t0 the davit side members 24 in desired fixed positions, while the other hook members 25 are arranged for adjustment along the davit side members 24 to provide for attaching the dinghy to the davit or for detaching it therefrom.

With the dinghy attached to the davit as shown, the davit and dinghy may be raised by operating the winch handle 23 which through operation of the gears 22, 2| rotates the drums, winding the cables thereon, and raising the dinghy to the up position shown in dot and. dash lines in Fig. 2. It will be seen that in its raised position the dinghy is held against the rear end of the boat externally thereof, so that it does not occupy space in the cockpit ll. addition the dinghy, in its raised position is held with its open side toward the front of the boat and slightly facing downward at an angle to the vertical such that any water which may enter the dinghy will drain therefrom. The worm gear acts as a suitable brake means for the winch to prevent backward rotation thereof when the dinghy is to be held in raised position. To prevent side or lateral movement of the davit in its up position a pair of spaced stop members 24a may be rigidly secured to the rear deck l2 and arranged so that the davit side members 24 position therebetween. Howevenif desired, a locking means, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, independent of the which may be provided to hold the davit in raised position. In Figs. 6 and 7, brackets 3|, rigidly secured to the boats rear deck [2 by screws 32 have rearwardly facing sockets 33 to receive the davit side members 2-4 which are held up by hinge members 34 having cooperating sockets 35. The hinge members 34 may be pivoted to the brackets, as at 36 and a readily removable pin 31 may be provided and received in aligning apertures in the free end of the hinge member and in the bracket to lock the davit in raised position. The use of the locking means above described will, of course, take the strain ofi of the cables 20 and will also limit side or lateral movement of the davit. If desired, a block and tackle instead of the winch may be employed to raise and lower the dinghy. After the dinghy has been lowered, it will be seen that it may be readily detached from the davit by simply loosening the two inner hooks 25 and slide them along the davit side members until the hooks clear the overhanging dinghy gunwale flanges.

From the foregoing description it will now be seen that I have provided for raising and/or lowering a dinghy with respect to a larger boat in a new and improved manner. It will be seen thatwith the present arrangement the dinghy is carried in an out of the way place on the boat and yet in a place where it may be readily and quickly lowered into the water with ease. Moreover, the dinghy is carried in a position such that water is not likely to enter the same and such that any water should enter the dinghy it will readily drain therefrom.

While I have shown and described my applaratus in detail it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the appended claims for many changes may be'madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of' the-invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for carrying and for launching a dinghy having gunwales from a larger boat comprising, a davit pivotallyconnected near the water line to the stern and externally of the (boat, said davit being arranged to swing about an axis transverse of the boat and lie across the gunwales of the dinghy, hooks carried by said davit and arranged to hook under the gunwales of the dinghy to hold the dinghy to the davit, at least some of said hooks being movable relative to said davit to disengage from the dinghy, releasable means to hold the hooks against movement relative to said davit, and means to raise and lower said davit carrying said dinghy in operative position.

2. A davit for raising and carrying a dinghy having gunwales, on a larger boat having a rear deck, a U-shaped member having its ends pivoted to the stern of the boat externally thereof near the water line and below the rear deck of the boat, said member lying across and engaging the gunwales of the dinghy, means for detachably securing said member to the gunwales of the dinghy, said member having a raised position extending upwardly and forwardly of the boat so that the gunwales of the dinghy will face downwardly and forwardly of the boat, and means for raising said member and dinghy.

3. In an apparatus for raising and carrying a dinghy having gunwales, on a larger boat having a rear deck, a pair of spaced brackets secured to the stern of the .boat below the rear deck thereof and extending rearwardly of the boat, a U-shaped supporting member lying across the gunwales of the dinghy, means for pivoting said member to said brackets on the stern of the boat, said memher having a raised position in which it partly overhangs the rear deck of the boat, means for detachably securing said member to the inner gunwale of the dinghy; and means for raising said member and dinghy.

4. In an apparatus for raising and carrying a dinghy having gunwales, on a boat having a stern, a continuous U-shap'e tubular member, means for pivotally connecting the ends of the U-shaped member to the stern of the boat for swinging movement rearwardly of the stern and transversely of the dinghy whereby said U-shaped member will lie across the gunwales of the dinghy, pairs of hook members on the U-shaped member for hooking under the gunwales of the dinghy for rigidly securing the dinghy to the U-shaped member, one of said pairs of hook members being releasable and slidable along; said U-shaped member for releasing the dinghy therefrom, and means for raising and lowering said U-shaped member.

GEORGE E. PALMER. 

